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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — in music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. roll — a list
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hand — help
  17. court — of a king
  18. ball — a dance
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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