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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mark — a trace
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — a committee
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — the time now
  18. board — to get on
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stem — to come from
  21. present — there
  22. content — happy
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. court — of a king

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