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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · stock · game · lash · fine · chip · wave · wound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chip — to eat
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. game — a match
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — all right
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. degree — temperature
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — a soup base

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