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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
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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: board · deal · wake · ball · bowl · stock · rule · chip

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — goods
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — a law
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rule — government
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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