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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stem — to come from
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bulb — for light

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