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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fine — all right
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ball — a dance
  17. can — to be able to
  18. row — a line
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — high quality
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. row — a quarrel

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