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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. game — wild animals
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — to bear
  12. content — the amount
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — finally
  16. content — happy
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. game — a match
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — on your feet

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