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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. file — a document
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — in music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. file — a tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rest — a break
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bound — certain

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