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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: club · net · season · rest · stock · lie · chip · race

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chip — for betting
  5. club — a group
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stock — goods
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — of the year
  16. net — after costs
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — humankind
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. race — a contest
  23. season — in sport
  24. net — in sport

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