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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. degree — from a university
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. field — farmland
  12. stem — to come from
  13. degree — an amount
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer

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