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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. club — for golf
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pop — music
  18. club — a group
  19. lean — thin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pop — soda

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