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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stock — shares
  6. club — a group
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a match
  17. club — for golf
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chip — for betting
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rock — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — for dancing

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