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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: tube · deal · court · chip · rash · kick · staff · stock

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — in football
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. rash — hasty
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — goods
  18. tube — a container
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — a series
  24. chip — for betting

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