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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kick — in football
  6. ground — the earth
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ball — a dance
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. court — of a king
  13. press — to push
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — of law
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ground — a position
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ball — a great time
  24. can — a tin

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