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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: chip · fan · tube · net · cabinet · saw · game · stock

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — for catching
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. tube — a container
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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