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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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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: cue · pop · last · ruler · stem · perch · net · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. perch — the fish
  4. net — after costs
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cue — a hint
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — music
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spring — of water
  21. last — finally
  22. pop — soda
  23. cue — a signal
  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