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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: firm · board · ball · pit · wind · stock · shower · chip

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. shower — rain
  3. pit — in a race
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. firm — steady
  6. stock — shares
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — to get on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a dance
  17. firm — a company
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a great time
  24. shower — to wash

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