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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — to come from
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. can — a tin

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