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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 120 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: hide · deal · bore · bound · pitcher · stick · chip · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to tire
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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