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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: field · stock · last · chip · lash · rest · deal · roll

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. last — finally
  3. field — for sport
  4. last — final
  5. roll — a list
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rest — what's left
  16. last — to go on
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — shares
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stock — goods
  23. roll — on a roll
  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