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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stem — to come from
  3. foot — a measure
  4. field — for sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chest — a box
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pop — music
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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