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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — the earth
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stem — to come from
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. can — to be able to
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — a position
  21. march — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stem — of a plant

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