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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. capital — money
  10. court — of a king
  11. capital — a city
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hand — help
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. foot — a measure
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hand — in cards

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