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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · toast · stock · bass · key · pit · roll · swing

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pit — a hole
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stock — goods
  9. swing — music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — for betting
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stock — shares
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. roll — a list
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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