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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: chest · stock · mark · march · row · bulb · fall · chip

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. mark — a trace
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chest — a box
  17. march — music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — shares
  22. fall — the season
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chest — of your body

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