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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rule — government
  5. stem — to come from
  6. land — ground
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — a law
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — in a race

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