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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 116 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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. swing — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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