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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: hand · rash · mine · wave · stock · mug · ball · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stock — shares
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — goods
  13. hand — help
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rash — a series
  17. mug — a face
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — with your hand

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