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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · stem · mark · mine · rest · court · last · roll

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — newspapers
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rest — a break
  5. last — finally
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. last — to go on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. court — for sport
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. roll — a list
  22. mark — a trace
  23. court — of law
  24. last — final

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