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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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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: saw · race · jam · pit · stock · patient · chip · deal

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. race — humankind
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stock — shares
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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