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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. root — of a word
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. root — the cause
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stem — to come from
  24. scale — for weighing

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