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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: track · fork · stock · sharp · mine · nail · bass · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stock — goods
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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