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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. club — for dancing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — a hole

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