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

Word bank: chair · stem · pound · pop · chip · stick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pop — soda
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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