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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
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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: stock · chip · cue · mine · date · deal · face · trunk

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — to eat
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stock — shares
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. face — to confront
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. date — the fruit

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