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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: jam · game · degree · stock · chair · fall · coach · chip

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stock — goods
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chair — a leader
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fall — the season
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — from a university
  18. game — wild animals
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stock — shares

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