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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: ground · chip · saw · tube · tear · stem · object · racket

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tube — a container
  3. chip — to eat
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tear — from crying
  6. object — a thing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — crushed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — for betting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tear — to rip
  24. racket — a loud noise

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