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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: lash · pit · cell · jam · stem · court · chair · object

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. court — of a king
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — of law
  10. object — an aim
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. object — to protest
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. court — for sport
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. object — a thing
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chair — to sit on

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