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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. present — the time now
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — of law
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. court — of a king
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rest — a break
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. present — there
  21. branch — a division
  22. plane — a tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. bass — low music

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