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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pop — music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — to visit
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — a permit
  19. current — happening now
  20. pop — soda
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cell — in biology
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cell — in a prison

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