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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: chip · march · fine · mark · bank · cue · present · stock

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. present — a gift
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. fine — all right
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. present — the time now
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — to eat
  22. present — there
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bank — of a river

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