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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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kick — in football
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cue — a hint
  22. land — a country
  23. stem — to come from
  24. roll — a list

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