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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spell — magic
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. spell — letters
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — a short time

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