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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 116 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 · rush · bass · stock · prune · cabinet · coach · game

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — shares
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — a match
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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