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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chest — a box
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rest — a break
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — to come from
  23. game — a match
  24. swing — to play on

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