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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 · stem · bulb · net · rock · sharp · game · fine

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. net — for catching
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. game — a match
  6. rock — music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fine — all right
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — in sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. net — after costs
  24. stem — to come from

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