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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stock — goods
  5. swing — to play on
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. club — for golf
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. club — a group
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chip — to eat
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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