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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kid — child
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. squash — to crush
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — to come from
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — the sport

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