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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. roll — a list
  5. hand — help
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. court — of a king
  11. cue — a signal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cue — for pool
  24. court — for sport

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