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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chip — to eat
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — a committee
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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