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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: chip · court · scale · pop · stick · stem · firm · net

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — of law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. net — for catching
  8. pop — to visit
  9. firm — a company
  10. scale — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — music
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — for sport
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — to eat
  20. firm — steady
  21. chip — for betting
  22. net — in sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. scale — size or range

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