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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: game · tube · shower · perch · snap · file · stock · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stock — shares
  4. shower — rain
  5. perch — the fish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tube — a container
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — to eat
  14. game — wild animals
  15. snap — to click
  16. stock — goods
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. tube — the underground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. shower — to wash
  24. game — a match

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