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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — for golf
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — a group
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bowl — a dish

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