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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. drill — army training
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — a position
  17. club — a group
  18. mark — a grade
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. club — for golf

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