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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fine — all right
  19. pit — in a race
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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