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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — to bear
  3. field — a subject
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — a skill
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stem — to come from
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. suit — in cards
  14. field — farmland
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. branch — a division
  21. craft — boats
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. field — for sport

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