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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a dance
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fine — high quality
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. roll — a list
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fine — all right
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. staff — a stick
  19. march — music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — a grade
  24. march — the month

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