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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cell — a phone
  16. club — a group
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. club — for golf
  22. spring — the season
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spring — of water

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