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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 · court · snap · stock · bound · calf · staff · swing

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bound — obliged
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — certain
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — music
  8. court — of law
  9. stock — shares
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — goods
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to click
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — to play on
  23. staff — a stick
  24. swing — in golf

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