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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spring — of water
  3. club — a group
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. court — of a king
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. court — for sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. court — of law
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ground — crushed
  13. club — for golf
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spring — a coil
  21. club — for dancing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spring — the season

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