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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — of a king
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. court — of law
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. march — the month
  16. court — for sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. march — music

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