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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. snap — to click
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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