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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. land — to come down
  5. court — of law
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — to come from

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