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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. court — for sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. roll — a cake
  8. court — of a king
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. staff — employees
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — size or range
  17. court — of law
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. roll — a list
  23. kick — in football
  24. roll — on a roll

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