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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. craft — boats
  6. mark — a grade
  7. file — a document
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mark — a trace
  12. file — a line of people
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. file — a tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stem — to come from
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — after costs

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