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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. capital — a city
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. court — of a king
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — money
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a line
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — to move gently

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