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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
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: ball · band · stem · kick · mine · toast · fine · drill

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fine — all right
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. band — a music group
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. kick — in football
  10. band — a ring
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. toast — bread
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. drill — the tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ball — a dance

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