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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · rash · bass · drill · ball · stock · wind · chip

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. drill — army training
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bass — low music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stock — goods
  11. rash — hasty
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stock — shares
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ball — a dance
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — a series
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cell — in biology

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