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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stem — to come from
  8. capital — a city
  9. court — of law
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — a gift
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — of a king
  18. present — there
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — the time now
  24. object — to protest

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