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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — letters
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — magic
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spell — a short time
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a match
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — to bear

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