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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bat — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. club — for golf
  8. foot — a measure
  9. march — music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for dancing
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. court — for sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. club — a group
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — a price
  24. court — of law

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