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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a list
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — of a king
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. roll — a cake
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pit — a hole
  24. deal — a big deal

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