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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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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: stem · chip · branch · spring · deal · perch · cell · game

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spring — the season
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. spring — of water
  15. cell — in biology
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chip — for betting
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — a match
  24. perch — for a bird

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