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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: pop · chip · bank · stock · lean · leaves · last · firm

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. firm — steady
  3. last — final
  4. firm — decided
  5. stock — goods
  6. last — finally
  7. bank — of a river
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stock — shares
  11. pop — to visit
  12. last — to go on
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — soda
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. firm — a company

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