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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: stock · chip · bark · hand · hide · pound · current · deal

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bark — to shout
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — goods
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hand — help
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. current — electric
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stock — shares
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. hand — part of the body

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