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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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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: board · rush · saw · pass · hand · stock · tear · chip

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — a committee
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. board — to get on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stock — shares
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — help
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. board — a flat piece

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