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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 120 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: chip · straw · key · stock · arm · mate · patient · vault

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — goods
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — to eat
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mate — to breed
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chip — for betting

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