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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — to protest
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — to crush
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stock — goods
  16. squash — the sport
  17. object — a thing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — an aim
  24. cap — a hat

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