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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. court — for sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. court — of law
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. can — to be able to
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. court — of a king

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