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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a list
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — for sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. field — farmland
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. field — a subject
  23. roll — a cake
  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