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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. present — a gift
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mine — for digging
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. present — the time now
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pit — in a race
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — there

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