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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: mug · court · stem · mark · mouse · present · nail · game

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mug — to rob
  3. court — of a king
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — a gift
  6. court — for sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. present — there
  9. mug — a face
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a match
  13. present — the time now
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. game — wild animals

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