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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: saw · stock · pop · date · chip · cue · pitcher · degree

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — a signal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stock — shares
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cue — a hint
  24. saw — the tool

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