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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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 a prison
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. land — a country
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. object — an aim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — to protest
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — goods
  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