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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 116 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: ground · dip · squash · present · stock · chip · bear · sharp

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ground — a position
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stock — shares
  13. present — the time now
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ground — crushed
  19. present — there
  20. stock — goods
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. present — a gift
  24. chip — in a computer

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