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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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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 · cap · stock · land · lie · racket · cell · deal

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cell — a phone
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. land — to come down
  16. stock — goods
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — to handle
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cell — in biology
  24. deal — an agreement

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