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

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. chip — for betting
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wake — a trail
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. firm — decided
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. firm — a company
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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