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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rock — music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spring — the season
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — a stone
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stem — to come from
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spring — of water
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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