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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: rock · stock · chair · chip · leaves · mate · spell · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spell — letters
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stock — shares
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. mate — a partner
  10. spell — magic
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — a stone
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — goods
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chair — a professorship

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