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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 · racket · kid · mark · hide · jam · fine · stem

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — child
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fine — high quality
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chip — for betting

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