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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stock — shares
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spring — the season
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. spring — of water
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stock — goods
  23. fine — all right
  24. board — a flat piece

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