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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stem — a stem cell

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