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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: cue · can · chip · stock · arm · game · net · hide

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. net — after costs
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a hint
  11. chip — to eat
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — for pool
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. game — a match

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