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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. roll — a list
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — for catching
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. charge — electricity
  12. season — of the year
  13. roll — a cake
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. net — after costs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. charge — a price
  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