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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — to come from
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. net — after costs
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — the animal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — for baseball

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