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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stem — to come from
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — a leader
  9. craft — a skill
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stock — shares
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — goods
  24. game — a match

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