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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — a series
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. field — farmland
  9. rule — government
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. present — there
  15. field — for sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. field — a subject
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. present — a gift
  24. rash — hasty

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