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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · stock · chip · stand · firm · board · straw · cell

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chip — to eat
  5. firm — decided
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — a committee
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chip — for betting
  17. scale — in music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. cell — a phone

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