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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: chip · wake · stock · cap · racket · ball · key · mug

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cap — a hat
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mug — a cup
  11. key — in music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — shares
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — in a computer

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