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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a partner
  6. field — farmland
  7. court — of law
  8. face — part of the head
  9. roll — a list
  10. mate — a friend
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. court — of a king
  14. face — to point toward
  15. court — for sport
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mate — to breed
  24. suit — clothes

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