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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. file — a document
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. file — a line of people
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. prune — to trim
  21. drill — the tool
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — of a plant

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