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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: kid · board · chip · stock · scale · staff · bay · lean

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stock — shares
  4. lean — to bend
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — for betting
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — a committee
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — in music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stock — goods
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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