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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. press — newspapers
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — to push
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — to confront
  13. cue — for pool
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. face — to point toward
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. face — part of the head
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — a signal

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