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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. clip — a video
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pit — in a race
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chest — a box
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. clip — for paper

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