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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — ground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mark — a grade
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — to come down
  17. file — a tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — a country
  22. vault — a safe
  23. file — a document
  24. stem — of a plant

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