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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: ground · stem · can · arm · fan · chip · bark · mouse

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bark — to shout
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — of a tree

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