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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: cell · dip · game · club · stock · fine · bay · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — a group
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cell — a phone
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — all right
  22. cell — in biology
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — to dunk

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