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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: game · stock · wind · suit · chip · rock · ground · plane

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — shares
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — moving air
  8. suit — to fit
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ground — the earth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ground — a position
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rock — music

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