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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: mine · stock · chip · wave · stick · charge · saw · file

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a document
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — for digging
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chip — to eat
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — in control
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stock — shares
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — goods

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