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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. squash — to crush
  3. branch — a division
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — high quality
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bowl — a football final

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