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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: trunk · deal · chip · stem · bass · scale · season · arm

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chip — for betting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. scale — size or range
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — low music
  17. scale — in music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. season — of the year
  20. stem — to come from
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. arm — a part of something

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