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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.

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: rule · content · fork · chip · pitcher · game · mouse · stock

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rule — government
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — shares
  8. rule — a law
  9. fork — in a road
  10. content — the amount
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — for betting
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — to eat
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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