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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — high quality
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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