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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: stock · land · cabinet · game · calf · chip · cue · pit

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chip — to eat
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stock — goods
  6. land — ground
  7. pit — a hole
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. game — a match
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cue — a signal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — a country
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. stock — shares
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — a kind of play
  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