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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: hand · pop · chip · bay · mark · can · stem · calf

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hand — help
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pop — soda
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. can — a tin
  9. pop — to visit
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pop — music

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