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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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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: chip · cap · bay · row · dip · chest · staff · stock

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stock — shares
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. staff — employees
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — of ice
  9. staff — employees
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. staff — a stick
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chest — a box
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. row — a line
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stock — goods
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chest — of your body
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to sink

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