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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: face · chip · drill · court · rash · arm · stock · bank

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — of a king
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — shares
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stock — goods
  13. drill — a practice
  14. court — of law
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. face — to confront
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — army training

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