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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. season — of the year
  11. stem — to come from
  12. current — of water
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — happening now
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — to visit
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. current — electric

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