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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a great time

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