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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 120 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: mug · bay · straw · chip · stock · spring

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mug — to rob
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — shares
  7. spring — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stock — goods
  11. mug — a face
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — a coil

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