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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. 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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — a skill
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — boats
  13. suit — in cards
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — a position
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — of ice
  20. court — for sport
  21. cap — a lid
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. 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