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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: trunk · pop · temple · chair · pit · stem · cue · fine

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pop — music
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — a hint
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — soda
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cue — for pool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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