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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — goods
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cue — for pool
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — the tool

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