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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. court — of a king
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chip — to eat
  9. court — of law
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. court — for sport
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — to come from
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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