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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — of law
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pop — soda
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — letters
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — for sport
  16. pop — music
  17. court — of a king
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spell — magic
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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