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

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pop — music
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ground — a position
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pop — soda

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