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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chip — to eat
  3. land — ground
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — to come down
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chair — a leader
  15. firm — a company
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. land — a country
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. firm — decided
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. firm — steady
  24. kick — in football

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