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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. object — to protest
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — goods
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. object — an aim
  16. bass — low music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. object — a thing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chip — for betting

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