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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — a hat
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cell — a phone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — in biology
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — a trainer

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