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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: stock · chip · rock · saw · cabinet · toast · fall · net

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stock — goods
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — bread
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. net — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. net — after costs

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