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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cell — a phone
  4. current — happening now
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — for sport
  8. cell — in biology
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — to come from
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — a loud noise

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