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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — to breed
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — goods
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. chip — to eat

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