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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — all right
  4. pop — to visit
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — a path
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mark — a grade
  13. track — to keep track
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fine — high quality
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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