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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. track — a song
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. land — a country
  7. board — a committee
  8. track — a path
  9. cap — a hat
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cap — a lid
  15. land — to come down
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cap — of ice
  21. land — ground
  22. chair — a leader
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chair — to sit on

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