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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — ground
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. net — in sport
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. net — after costs
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — for catching
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. land — a country
  18. mark — a trace
  19. land — to come down
  20. scale — size or range
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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