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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: mug · bay · straw · chip · stock · spring · scale · stand

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stock — shares
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spring — the season
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spring — of water
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mug — a cup
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stand — to bear
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stock — goods
  24. scale — in 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