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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. net — in sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stock — shares
  7. face — to confront
  8. pop — soda
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — a trace
  12. net — after costs
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — in control
  15. pop — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — a price
  20. bound — certain
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pop — to visit
  24. charge — electricity

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