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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. field — a subject
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — boats
  12. net — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stem — to come from
  20. field — for sport
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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