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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stock — goods
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chip — to eat
  5. row — a line
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fork — in a road
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — a phone
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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