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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · kid · stock · scale · mouse · chip · lie · mark

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — goods
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. kid — child
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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