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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. track — to keep track
  6. scale — in music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. scale — size or range

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