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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. land — to come down
  3. pass — a permit
  4. land — ground
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. land — a country
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. firm — steady
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bore — to tire
  21. firm — decided
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — a company

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