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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: stand · plane · cold · stem · chip · firm · cue · capital

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stem — to come from
  4. capital — money
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cold — an illness
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cue — for pool
  11. firm — steady
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — for betting
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. capital — a city
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. firm — a company

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