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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — to come from
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — bread
  12. chip — for betting
  13. swing — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. swing — in golf
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. degree — an amount
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cap — a hat

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