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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — thin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. degree — an amount

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