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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: pound · deal · hide · toast · stem · ball · cap · court

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pound — a weight
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. cap — a hat
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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