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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: kick · chip · stem · staff · pound · press

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kick — in football
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pound — a weight
  12. press — to push
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chip — for betting

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