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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stem — to come from
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ground — a position
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — a trace
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mate — a partner

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