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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: bound · jam · fine · court · stock · racket · date · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — certain
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bound — tied together
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. court — for sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — of law
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — high quality
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. court — of a king

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