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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — in control
  7. last — to go on
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — finally
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — in cards
  14. charge — electricity
  15. suit — to fit
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — final
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mine — for digging
  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