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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. game — a match
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — goods
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bound — tied together
  22. deal — to handle
  23. roll — a list
  24. bound — obliged

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