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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — all right
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — a stem cell

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