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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · foot · bear · mark · pitcher · stem · chest · cue

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — a signal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spring — the season
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spring — of water

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