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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pop — music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. charge — a price
  18. pit — in a race
  19. press — newspapers
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — electricity
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bat — for baseball

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