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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — a subject
  7. stem — to come from
  8. field — for sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — an aim
  13. field — farmland
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. object — to protest
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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