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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — low music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — shares
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — goods
  20. bass — the fish
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cell — in biology

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