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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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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: chip · tube · patient · bay · stock · dip · swing · club

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — a group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — for golf
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tube — the underground
  12. club — for dancing
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. swing — to play on
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tube — a container
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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