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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: suit · coach · stem · content · scale · last · chip · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chip — to eat
  3. suit — in cards
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. net — for catching
  7. last — finally
  8. suit — to fit
  9. net — in sport
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stem — to come from
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. content — the amount
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — in music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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