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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chest — a box
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chip — for betting
  7. march — music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — for catching
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — to drill
  20. can — a tin
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — to eat

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