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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — in control
  4. bat — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. object — a thing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a face
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — of the year
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. season — in sport
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mug — to rob
  24. object — an aim

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