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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: date · cue · track · file · fall · chip · stem · bulb

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a document
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. file — a tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — a song
  17. date — the fruit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. track — to keep track
  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