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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — for sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rash — a series
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — of a king
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — in music
  22. court — of law
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. scale — for weighing

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