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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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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: chip · pit · board · ground · staff · file · stem · cell

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. file — a document
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. file — a line of people
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — crushed
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. file — a tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — a committee
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chip — to eat

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