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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — to come from
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a ring
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. roll — a list
  14. rock — music
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. roll — a cake
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stem — 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