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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — in music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cue — for pool

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