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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. current — electric
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. club — for golf
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — a measure
  17. club — a group
  18. march — the month
  19. present — a gift
  20. current — happening now
  21. present — the time now
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. current — of water

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