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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — a match
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. plane — a tool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. game — wild animals
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stem — to come from
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — bread
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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