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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. board — to get on
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chip — for betting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. file — a document
  18. board — a committee
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. file — a tool
  24. pit — in a race

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