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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: jam · rest · stock · pit · key · capital · net · chip

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. net — for catching
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. net — in sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — after costs
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stock — shares
  19. capital — money
  20. key — in music
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stock — goods
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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