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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. court — of a king
  10. cell — a phone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — for digging
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. court — for sport
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cap — of ice

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