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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — high quality
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — to come down
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chip — to eat
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stem — to come from
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — all right
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stand — for spectators

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