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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. club — for golf
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. club — a group
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. root — the cause
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — in a computer

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