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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: stick · stem · degree · net · fork · trunk · chip · swing

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. swing — in golf
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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