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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · chip · bat · fork · squash · stem · ball · mine

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bat — the animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ball — a great time

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