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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — a partner
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fork — in a road
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mate — a friend
  16. branch — a division
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hand — help
  21. net — in sport
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mate — to breed
  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