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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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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: season · bat · stock · chip · trunk · ball · net · rest

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. bat — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — of the year
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chip — for betting
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — a break
  21. stock — goods
  22. net — in sport
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ball — a dance

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