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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — for betting
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. roll — a list
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. net — after costs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — for catching
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chip — to eat
  22. roll — a cake
  23. net — in sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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