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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. last — finally
  9. track — a song
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. last — final
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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