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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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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: firm · snap · net · chip · field · present · stem · dip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. snap — to click
  3. present — there
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. field — for sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. chip — for betting
  8. present — a gift
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — in sport
  11. firm — steady
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — a company
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — a subject
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. dip — to sink
  18. field — farmland
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stem — of a plant
  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