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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: chip · chest · stick · snap · perch · net · jam · stem

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chest — a box
  4. net — for catching
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chest — of your body
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chip — to eat
  13. net — in sport
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to click
  19. stem — to come from
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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