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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pit — a hole
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. roll — a cake
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — a stone
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rock — music
  22. roll — a list
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. racket — for tennis

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