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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — a group

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