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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — in sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — for pool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — the season
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. spring — of water
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com