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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — to come down
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — a gift
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — ground
  15. stem — to come from
  16. land — a country
  17. present — there
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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