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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — to come from
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. kick — in football
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hand — help
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chip — for betting

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