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

Word bank: stem · mug · firm · court · fork · fall · row · leaves

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. firm — a company
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — steady
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. court — of a king
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — a line
  18. court — of law
  19. stem — to come from
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fall — the season
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fall — to drop

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