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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. spring — of water
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — for pool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spring — the season
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cue — a signal
  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