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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — shares
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pop — soda
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pop — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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