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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. board — a committee
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — in music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. band — a ring
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. band — a music group
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rule — government
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chip — to eat
  23. board — to get on
  24. stem — a stem cell

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