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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · lean · court · mate · saw · mark · bowl · pound

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mate — a friend
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. court — of law
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lean — thin

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