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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: dip · chip · race · stock · wave · cap · foot · stick

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — of ice
  3. race — a contest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stock — shares
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. race — humankind
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to dunk

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