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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — a hole
  4. land — ground
  5. charge — a price
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cap — a hat
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cap — of ice
  11. land — to come down
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — to come from
  15. root — the cause
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cap — a lid
  18. root — of a word
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — a signal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stem — of a plant

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