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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — goods
  8. foot — a measure
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — shares
  11. band — a ring
  12. rush — hurry
  13. court — for sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. game — a match
  19. court — of a king
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. band — a music group
  23. court — of law
  24. foot — the bottom

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