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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — to shout
  6. present — there
  7. date — the fruit
  8. race — a contest
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. race — humankind
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. race — the arms race
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — a gift
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stem — to come from

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