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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for dancing
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a hint
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. net — in sport
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. club — for golf
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stem — to come from

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