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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — finally
  5. rash — a series
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — hasty
  8. key — the most important part
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chip — for betting
  13. present — there
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. key — in music
  17. degree — from a university
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. degree — temperature
  24. last — to go on

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