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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · cue · tube · chair · firm · game · season · stem

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. tube — a container
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. season — of the year
  7. cue — a hint
  8. firm — a company
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — steady
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — for pool
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tube — the underground
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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