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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — a list
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. roll — a cake
  6. scale — size or range
  7. root — the cause
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. root — of a word
  10. stem — to come from
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — all right
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cell — in biology
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cell — a phone

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