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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · cell · object · pit · bass · march

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — music
  4. object — to protest
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — a thing
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cell — a phone
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pit — in a race

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