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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: kick · chip · stem · cue · toast · stand · degree · mine

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chip — for betting
  9. degree — temperature
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stem — to come from
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — for pool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chip — to eat
  20. toast — bread
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stem — a stem cell

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