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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — employees
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. board — to get on
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — a committee
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. date — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stem — a stem cell

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