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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. charge — electricity
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — in music
  12. chest — a box
  13. charge — in control
  14. chest — of your body
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. sharp — with an edge

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