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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. net — after costs
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ground — crushed

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