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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: bank · tube · land · bound · cue · chip · stem · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rock — music
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. land — a country
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — to come down
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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