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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: stock · deal · charge · chip · tube · mate · racket · tear

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. charge — a price
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stock — goods
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mate — a partner
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mate — a friend

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