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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — of the year
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bound — certain
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — shares
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. game — a match
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. stem — to come from
  24. game — a kind of play

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