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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ball — a dance
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — a committee
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — not warm
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — to come from
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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