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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — money
  7. stem — to come from
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — a group
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. capital — a city
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bulb — 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