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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. land — a country
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. spring — the season
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mouse — the animal

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