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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · can · degree · rock · file · stem · calf · hand

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rock — music
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. hand — help
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chip — to eat

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