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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — to fit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. swing — music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. tube — the underground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. swing — to play on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. swing — in golf
  17. suit — clothes
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chip — to eat
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — a container
  24. can — to be able to

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