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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: kid · deal · chip · rush · present · spring · coach · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. present — a gift
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — of water
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kid — child
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. spring — the season
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rush — hurry

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