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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 108 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cell — a phone
  9. game — a match
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lash — to lash out

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