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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 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fine — all right
  5. date — the fruit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. cell — in biology
  11. board — a committee
  12. row — a line
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fine — high quality

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