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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — for golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — a group
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — for betting
  12. craft — a skill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wound — an injury
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — boats
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for dancing
  24. racket — for tennis

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