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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. sharp — clever
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rock — music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — for paper
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — a stone
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stem — to come from
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stem — a stem cell

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