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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. land — ground
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — the season
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. land — a country
  24. chip — for betting

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