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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a dance
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stem — to come from
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stem — a stem cell

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