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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wave — of the sea

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