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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mug — a face
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — a container
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ball — a great time

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