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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. plane — a tool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. court — of a king
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. 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