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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: bank · chair · stock · fork · pass · chip · plane · scale

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — of a river
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stock — goods

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