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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chip — for betting
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — goods
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — soda
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — shares
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. content — happy
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — the amount
  24. wave — with your hand

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