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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — the time now
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — to come from
  14. present — there
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — a stone
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chip — in a computer

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