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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cell — a phone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. swing — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rule — government
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cell — in biology
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ground — a position

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