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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stock — goods
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chip — for betting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. swing — music
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. kick — in football
  24. chip — to eat

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