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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. band — a ring
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. object — an aim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stem — to come from
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cell — in biology
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. object — to protest
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chip — for betting

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