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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — for catching
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. court — of a king
  18. rash — a series
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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