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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stand — to bear
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — music
  8. current — electric
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tear — to rip
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. scale — in music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tear — from crying
  22. march — the month
  23. scale — size or range
  24. current — happening now

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