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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stem — to come from
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — to rob
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — a face
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — the fruit

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