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

Word bank: pop · season · roll · dip · cell · stem · firm · mark

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. season — in sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. firm — steady
  17. season — of the year
  18. dip — to sink
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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