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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: chip · key · face · kick · snap · stock · jam · spring

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. face — to point toward
  3. key — in music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. key — the most important part
  7. snap — to click
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. face — to confront
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — shares
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chip — for betting
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — in football
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  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