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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: row · rash · perch · chip · plane · stock · present · wind

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. present — the time now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — goods
  10. present — there
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rash — hasty
  16. present — a gift
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — shares
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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