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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stem — to come from
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — a tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — to eat
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a committee
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spring — of water
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. current — of water
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — army training
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. drill — the tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — for betting
  24. deal — a big deal

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