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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.

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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 · chip · cue · ground · cabinet · bowl · patient · branch

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — a position
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chip — for betting
  11. branch — a division
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chip — in a computer

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