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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: tube · rash · court · scale · chip · content · stock · stick

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stock — shares
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — a container
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. scale — in music
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. tube — the underground
  16. content — happy
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stock — a soup base

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