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

Word bank: cue · foot · kid · court · lie · cabinet · stem · fork

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kid — child
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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