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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: toast · racket · sharp · chip · wind · rush · stick · stock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. toast — bread
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — goods
  12. wind — moving air
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — hurry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — for betting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — shares
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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