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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. capital — money
  10. season — of the year
  11. stem — to come from
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. season — in sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — low music
  18. race — humankind
  19. bass — the fish
  20. race — a contest
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. capital — a city
  23. current — electric
  24. season — to add flavour

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