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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 120 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: press · lie · race · fine · pop · bound · stock · chip

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bound — certain
  3. stock — goods
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. race — a contest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — to push
  9. fine — all right
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pop — music
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stock — shares
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — to recline

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