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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. row — a line
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — of a king
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mark — a grade
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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