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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stock — shares
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. chair — to sit on

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