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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 116 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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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: stock · deal · chip · file · straw · court · snap · hide

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stock — shares
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — to eat
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a document
  9. chip — for betting
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — goods
  13. court — of a king
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. file — a tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to click
  19. court — of law
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. file — a line of people
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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