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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 120 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.

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: swing · row · vault · chip · mouse · band · mug · stock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stock — goods
  6. row — to paddle
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. swing — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a line
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — to eat
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mug — a cup
  24. swing — in golf

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