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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.

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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: land · content · ground · chip · mark · rush · stock · stem

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — to eat
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. mark — a grade
  11. content — the amount
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stock — shares
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — crushed
  16. content — happy
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — a position
  24. content — videos and posts

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