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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cue — a hint
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. cue — for pool
  11. present — there
  12. bass — low music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — to handle
  19. branch — a division
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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