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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. spring — the season
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spring — of water
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pop — music
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. race — humankind
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stem — to come from
  19. roll — a list
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. race — the arms race
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pop — soda
  24. mark — a grade

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