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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kick — in football
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. last — to go on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — to put up with

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