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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. field — for sport
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. net — for catching
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — farmland
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mark — a grade
  21. suit — in cards
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — a safe

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