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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — a price
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stem — to come from
  8. charge — in control
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. charge — electricity
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — to roll

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