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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. capital — money
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ground — a position
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. capital — a city
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stand — to bear
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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