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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: mouse · staff · pit · pitcher · mine · ground · chip · stock

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — goods
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — the earth
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — for betting

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