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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — a company
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — steady
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — a position
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitcher — a jug

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