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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. row — a line
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. vault — a safe
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — to come down

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