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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kid — child
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. pass — a permit
  18. board — to get on
  19. bound — certain
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kid — to tease

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