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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — for sport
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. court — of a king
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a list
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — in cards
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stem — of a plant

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