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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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