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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of law
  4. season — of the year
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. march — music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — the month
  13. court — of a king
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stem — to come from
  17. season — in sport
  18. court — for sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — to bear
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — the animal

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