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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: bass · club · saw · chip · stock · safe · dip · file

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — a group
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — low music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. club — for dancing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. dip — to sink
  13. club — for golf
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chip — for betting
  21. file — a document
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bass — the fish

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