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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. content — happy
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — the amount
  21. court — of a king
  22. march — music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — a monarch

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