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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. swing — in golf
  6. land — ground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. swing — music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. swing — to play on
  16. kick — in football
  17. land — to come down
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chip — to eat

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