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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mine — for digging
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — a country
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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