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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: suit · pound · shower · deal · hand · rash · chip · stock

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — shares
  3. chip — for betting
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — clothes
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. shower — rain
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — goods
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rash — a series
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stock — a soup base

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