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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. court — for sport
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chip — to eat
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stock — shares

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