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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pop — soda
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lie — to recline
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. club — a group
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. chair — a leader
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — music
  24. club — for dancing

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