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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — for betting
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — a match

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