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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — a grade
  7. march — the month
  8. current — electric
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mark — a trace

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