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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: stem · chip · chest · tube · net · ball · pop · leaves

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pop — music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pop — soda
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. net — for catching
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ball — a great time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. net — after costs
  20. chip — for betting
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — in sport
  23. chest — a box
  24. ball — a dance

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