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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. season — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. season — of the year
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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