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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wound — an injury
  11. toast — bread
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. foot — the bottom

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