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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. kick — in football
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — shares
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — in control
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. charge — a price
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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