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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. firm — decided
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. land — ground
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — a company
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — in music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. firm — steady
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — to come from
  24. land — a country

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