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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stock — shares
  3. rash — a series
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bank — of a river
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — child
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chip — for betting
  13. race — humankind
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — goods
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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