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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. firm — decided
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. current — of water
  8. stem — to come from
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fine — all right
  11. capital — money
  12. current — happening now
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. firm — a company
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a city
  20. fall — the season
  21. ball — a great time
  22. firm — steady
  23. current — electric
  24. fall — to drop

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