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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — clever
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. field — farmland
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rock — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chair — a leader
  21. field — a subject
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — a stone

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