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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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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: chip · pop · trunk · straw · dip · roll · stock · race

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stock — goods
  3. pop — soda
  4. stock — shares
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pop — to visit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pop — music
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. dip — to sink
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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