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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bass — the fish
  6. season — in sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. scale — in music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — a price
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. season — of the year
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bass — low music
  23. fine — all right
  24. foot — a measure

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