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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: game · chip · stem · degree · staff · roll · pass · stick

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pass — a permit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. roll — a list
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — for betting
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. roll — a cake

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