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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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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: row · wave · stock · club · present · deal · chip · leaves

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. club — for golf
  3. row — to paddle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. present — there
  10. stock — goods
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — the time now
  22. stock — shares
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — a group

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