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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — a price
  11. game — a match
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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