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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. object — to protest
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. ball — a dance
  7. race — a contest
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — an aim
  14. race — humankind
  15. staff — employees
  16. present — a gift
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — a thing
  24. race — the arms race

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