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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: chip · file · stock · tear · wound · mark · rush · jam

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — a grade
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — to eat
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a document
  14. stock — shares
  15. file — a line of people
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stock — goods
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — for betting

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