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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 · saw · chip · object · game · bay · bear · last

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. last — finally
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. object — an aim
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. object — a thing
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — to go on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — a match
  21. last — final
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. object — to protest

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