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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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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: foot · firm · ruler · fork · leaves · stem · ball · row

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. firm — steady
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fork — in a road
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. stem — to come from
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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