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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — to eat
  9. capital — money
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. capital — a city
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tear — to rip

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