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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: roll · stem · ground · fan · chip · track · snap · spring

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. chip — for betting
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spring — of water
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ground — a position
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spring — the season
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — a coil
  24. roll — on a roll

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