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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. date — the fruit
  4. net — for catching
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — soda
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — after costs
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kid — child
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. net — in sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. kid — to tease
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pop — music
  24. chip — to eat

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