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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of law
  4. squash — to crush
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pop — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. squash — the sport
  12. court — for sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. court — of a king
  18. chair — a leader
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pop — soda

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