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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: firm · chip · tube · stem · court · deal · spring · chair

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — a container
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. firm — decided
  9. tube — the underground
  10. court — of a king
  11. firm — steady
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. court — of law
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stem — to come from
  17. court — for sport
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. spring — of water
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. firm — a company
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — a leader

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