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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — a series
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. capital — a city
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rule — a law
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — to eat
  17. field — for sport
  18. current — electric
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rash — hasty
  21. field — a subject
  22. capital — money
  23. board — to get on
  24. current — of water

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