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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: stem · chip · roll · deal · game · cabinet · sharp · fine

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. roll — a list
  7. chip — to eat
  8. sharp — clever
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — all right
  19. stem — to come from
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cabinet — ministers

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