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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mate — to breed
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — in music
  24. stem — to come from

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