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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.

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: chip · object · stock · craft · stick · squash · pop · wound

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chip — to eat
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pop — music
  12. stock — shares
  13. object — an aim
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — soda
  22. squash — the sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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