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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: land · stem · mouse · pit · stock · degree · chip · tube

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — the underground
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. land — ground
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — shares
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — an amount
  23. land — to come down
  24. stock — goods

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