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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · pit · march · hide · cabinet · present

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. present — the time now
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — a gift
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. present — there
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — ministers

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