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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chair — a leader
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. field — for sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. craft — boats
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. field — farmland
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chip — to eat

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