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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: stem · board · club · hide · ground · shower · staff · chip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — a group
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — for betting
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — crushed
  13. club — for golf
  14. shower — rain
  15. chip — to eat
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. staff — employees
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. staff — a stick

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