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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: cue · pit · chip · calf · saw · stem · spring · cold

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pit — a hole
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spring — the season
  16. cold — not warm
  17. chip — for betting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spring — of water
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stem — to come from

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