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

Word bank: tube · mouse · stem · perch · chair · board · cell · mate

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. stem — to come from
  17. board — to get on
  18. tube — a container
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — the underground

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