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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: mate · stem · bowl · staff · cap · rule · toast · dip

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — bread
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cap — of ice
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cap — a hat
  12. staff — a stick
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mate — a partner
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — government
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — a friend
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mate — to breed

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