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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. court — of a king
  11. field — farmland
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. field — for sport
  15. court — for sport
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. mark — a trace
  20. field — a subject
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. scale — for weighing

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