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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: rock · stock · net · chip · mark · dip · pop · clip

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — for betting
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. clip — a video
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. net — for catching
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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