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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: chip · pass · stem · mouse · jam · roll · bank · capital

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. capital — money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. capital — a city
  19. roll — a list
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mouse — the animal

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