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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. present — the time now
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stem — to come from
  10. hand — in cards
  11. present — there
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. drill — army training
  21. field — farmland
  22. present — a gift
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hand — help

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