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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 · suit · plane · stock · game · cell · lie · kid

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. kid — child
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chip — for betting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kid — to tease
  22. suit — in cards
  23. game — a match
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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