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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — a law
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — the sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chip — to eat
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. squash — to crush
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. swing — music
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rule — government
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. swing — to play on

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