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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: mine · key · file · stand · chair · stem · game · mouse

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. file — a document
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. game — a match
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. game — wild animals

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