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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — in sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. track — a path
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — electric
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. track — a song
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. current — of water
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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