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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. rock — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rock — a stone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — low music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. plane — in geometry

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