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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cell — in biology
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fine — all right
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — wild animals
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. land — to come down
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — a match
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — a phone
  16. land — ground
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. land — a country
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. foot — part of the body

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