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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. field — farmland
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — for sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bear — the animal

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