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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — a trace
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — finally
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — to go on
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stem — to come from
  15. race — a contest
  16. fork — in a road
  17. row — a line
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. race — humankind
  24. last — final

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