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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 · staff · chip · jam · land · game · race · plane

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. land — to come down
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. race — humankind
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. land — a country
  9. plane — a tool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — a contest
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chip — for betting
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. land — ground
  23. staff — employees
  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