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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. band — a music group
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a ring
  10. stem — to come from
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — for sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — to keep secret

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