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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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. bay — a horse colour
  4. cell — a phone
  5. firm — steady
  6. land — a country
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. swing — in golf
  10. land — ground
  11. firm — decided
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pit — a hole
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. land — to come down
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. firm — a company
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cell — in biology

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