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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — happy
  4. board — to get on
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. board — a committee
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. court — of a king
  15. content — the amount
  16. court — of law
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cell — in biology
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. suit — clothes
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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