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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 116 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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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: fan · chip · row · club · wind · racket · stem · mine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wind — moving air
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — for golf
  9. row — to paddle
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chip — for betting
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. club — a group
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. row — a line
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — in a computer

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