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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · mine · leaves · foot · stem · cabinet · content · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. court — of law
  5. content — happy
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. court — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. mine — for digging
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cabinet — ministers

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