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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 116 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: tube · firm · stem · chip · current · staff · cabinet · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — decided
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — happening now
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. present — there
  10. firm — a company
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — to come from
  13. firm — steady
  14. current — electric
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. present — the time now
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — to eat

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