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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 124 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. shower — rain
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stem — to come from
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fork — in a road
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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