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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stem — to come from
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. key — in music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. game — a match
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. game — wild animals

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