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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — all right
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. court — of a king
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fork — a garden tool

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