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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a face
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. craft — boats
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. firm — steady
  10. stock — shares
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kid — child
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. firm — a company
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mug — a cup
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. game — wild animals

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