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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: mark · chair · pit · lash · snap · stock · chip · fork

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to click
  14. stock — goods
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mark — to pay attention

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