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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stem — to come from
  9. court — of a king
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — of a plant

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