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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: bear · staff · branch · bay · pitch · chip · plane · stem

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bear — to put up with

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