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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spring — of water
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bat — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chip — to eat
  20. last — final
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — a stem cell

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