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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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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: mouse · cell · stock · suit · kid · chip · mark · lie

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. suit — to fit
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cell — in biology
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kid — child
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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