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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 116 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: bowl · stock · safe · saw · band · scale · chip · game

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — shares
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. scale — in music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stock — goods
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chip — to eat
  24. safe — out of danger

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