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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: tube · stock · firm · chip · staff · can · bass · wake

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stock — shares
  3. firm — steady
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — goods
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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