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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 120 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: land · arm · safe · stock · rest · chip · tear · pop

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stock — shares
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — goods
  7. pop — soda
  8. tear — from crying
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. land — ground
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. land — a country
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rest — a break
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. arm — a part of something

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