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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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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ball — a great time
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. roll — a list
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — an aim
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. object — a thing
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — ministers

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