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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chip — for betting
  3. game — wild animals
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stock — goods
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chest — a box
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — of a river
  12. race — humankind
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — the arms race

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