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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chip — to eat
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chip — for betting

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