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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 124 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pop — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — shares
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a line
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. foot — a measure
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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