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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · chip · key · spring · pop · stick · stem · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. key — in music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spring — of water
  24. stem — a stem cell

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