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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: ground · mouse · stock · cap · saw · spring · bowl · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — of water
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stock — goods
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. saw — the tool

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