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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cap — a lid
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. can — to be able to
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of a king
  24. arm — part of the body

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