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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lean — thin
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. club — for golf
  10. degree — from a university
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lean — to bend
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stem — a stem cell

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