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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cue — a signal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — of a king
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — lets stay

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