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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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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: mate · fork · season · cell · chip · last · stem · bulb

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. last — to go on
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. last — finally
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. last — final
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fork — in a road
  18. season — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mate — a friend

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