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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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 — a stick
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. band — a ring
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. row — a line
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. kid — child
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fine — all right
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. band — a music group
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chip — for betting
  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