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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stand — to bear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cell — in biology
  12. land — ground
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chip — to eat
  16. court — of law
  17. land — a country
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. court — for sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. court — of a king

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