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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. hand — help
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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