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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: chip · stock · suit · stem · hand · snap · pass · net

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hand — help
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. net — in sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. net — after costs
  11. chip — for betting
  12. suit — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — to spend time

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