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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 120 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: chair · chip · bore · track · stem · club · deal · shower

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. track — to keep track
  12. club — a group
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bore — to tire
  15. club — for golf
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. shower — rain
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bore — gave birth

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