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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. net — in sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. court — of law
  7. rest — a break
  8. squash — to crush
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — after costs
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — to handle
  19. net — for catching
  20. march — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — for sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. march — the month

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