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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 124 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pop — soda
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cell — in biology
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. roll — a list
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — the season
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bore — gave birth

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