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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — a thing
  11. chip — for betting
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stock — goods
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — an aim
  18. hide — animal skin

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