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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — to come from
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — in music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. toast — bread
  19. charge — in control
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. charge — a price
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bat — in an idiom

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