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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spring — the season
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spring — of water
  8. land — a country
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — for betting
  11. race — humankind
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — to come from
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spring — a coil
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — ground
  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