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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stock — shares
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fine — all right
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wake — a trail
  23. land — to come down
  24. fine — a penalty

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