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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. land — a country
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. can — to be able to
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chair — a leader
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — to fit
  14. land — to come down
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a great time
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. suit — in cards

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