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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. land — a country
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pop — soda
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rest — a break
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. board — a committee
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. board — to get on
  22. land — ground
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. land — to come down

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