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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rock — music
  24. fine — all right

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