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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. court — of law
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stem — to come from
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a ring
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — in a road
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — in cards

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