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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. drill — army training
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — final
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. toast — bread
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — to eat
  13. last — to go on
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. drill — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. current — happening now
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chip — for betting
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cue — a signal

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