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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 116 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: wake · spring · row · ball · stock · tube · deal · chip

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stock — shares
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. row — a line
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spring — of water
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — goods
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ball — a round shape

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