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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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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: cap · stem · ground · tube · safe · court · dip · mark

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stem — to come from
  14. court — for sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. court — of a king
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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