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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: stock · deal · bass · race · rash · branch · bowl · chip

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bass — low music
  10. branch — a division
  11. race — a contest
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — humankind
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rash — a series
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stock — goods
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chip — to eat

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