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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. present — the time now
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pop — music
  6. stem — to come from
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — of law
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — soda
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — there

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