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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. deal — to handle
  6. firm — decided
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ground — a position
  10. mate — to breed
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kick — in football
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. court — of law

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