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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cell — a phone
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tube — a container
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cell — in biology
  24. tube — the underground

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