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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stock — shares
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stock — goods
  17. bank — for money
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — a sauce

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