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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mark — a trace
  6. land — a country
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — to come down
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. land — ground
  14. mark — a grade
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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