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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stock — shares
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — goods
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rash — a series
  21. object — a thing
  22. rock — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. shower — to wash

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