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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: chip · stem · kid · deal · spell · staff

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kid — to tease
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spell — magic
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spell — letters
  13. kid — child
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — an agreement

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