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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. court — for sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. court — of law
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — a city
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. firm — decided
  21. capital — money
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — a company

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