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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spell — magic
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chest — a box
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — goods

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