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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: pass · row · club · racket · stock · content · bulb · chip

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stock — goods
  11. club — a group
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stock — shares
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chip — for betting
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — to paddle
  24. content — the amount

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