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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: cue · stem · track · spell · chip · court · foot · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. pop — soda
  2. track — a song
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — to eat
  6. court — for sport
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pop — to visit
  16. foot — a measure
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a signal
  19. court — of a king
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pop — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  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