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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 120 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: chest · bass · degree · drill · safe · stem · fine · chip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fine — all right
  6. chip — for betting
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — a box
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — the fish
  20. chest — of your body
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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