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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. press — a publisher
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. date — the fruit
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a song
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — a hint
  18. press — to push
  19. track — a path
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stem — to come from
  24. saw — the tool

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