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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — to come from
  5. race — humankind
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — low music
  13. race — a contest
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — for betting
  18. staff — employees
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. race — the arms race
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stem — a stem cell

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