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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: game · foot · fine · face · stock · chip · court · stand

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — to eat
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. court — of law
  11. stock — goods
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. game — wild animals
  21. face — to confront
  22. court — of a king
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. face — part of the head

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