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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — in music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mug — a face
  8. scale — size or range
  9. court — of law
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. date — the fruit
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mug — to rob
  18. court — for sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of a king

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