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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 · stem · charge · saw · kid · court · calf · stick

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. charge — a price
  11. court — for sport
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kid — child
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — electricity

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