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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fine — all right
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — happening now
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cue — a signal
  16. current — electric
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — of water
  24. bat — in an idiom

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