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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stem — to come from
  9. dip — to sink
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cap — of ice
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — to dunk

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