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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ball — a great time
  9. capital — money
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — for betting
  13. capital — a city
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bay — a horse colour

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