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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: chip · mouse · row · saw · deal · stem · roll · bore

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. chip — for betting
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. row — a line
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — to drill
  21. roll — a list
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bore — to tire
  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