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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. root — the cause
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mug — a face
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — shares
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — goods
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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