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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: toast · stock · chip · chair · current · ground · object · prune

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — a leader
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. current — electric
  13. prune — to trim
  14. current — of water
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — an aim
  21. current — happening now
  22. toast — bread
  23. stock — goods
  24. ground — a position

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