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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — magic
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chip — to eat
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — the time now
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spell — letters
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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