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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. staff — employees
  4. land — ground
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — to come down
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — farmland
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. field — a subject
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. can — to be able to
  21. field — for sport
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. can — a tin

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