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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: last · kid · key · chip · suit · bay · stem · mark

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. stem — to come from
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — in music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. key — for a lock
  13. last — final
  14. key — the most important part
  15. last — to go on
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. last — finally
  23. kid — to tease
  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