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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: stock · squash · safe · chip · tube · mark · prune · kid

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. squash — the sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — the underground
  8. squash — to crush
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kid — to tease
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — a container
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kid — child

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