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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: wave · chip · row · stem · present · club

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. present — there
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. club — for golf
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. present — a gift
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. club — a group
  18. present — the time now

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