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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. club — for golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — to come from
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. spell — magic

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