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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — for money

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