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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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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: bore · perch · tube · court · cue · stem · cell · pop

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. court — of law
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. tube — a container
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cue — a signal
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. bore — to tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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