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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · board · net · race · foot · chip

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. race — the arms race
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. race — humankind
  6. chip — for betting
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. board — to get on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. race — a contest
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a flat piece

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