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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pop — soda
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mouse — the animal

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