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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: rash · chip · race · stock · staff · file · ground · bore

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. race — humankind
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. race — a contest
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — employees
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ground — a position
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stock — goods
  15. staff — a stick
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — the arms race
  20. file — a document
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stock — shares
  24. ground — crushed

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