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

Word bank: chair · cabinet · bank · stick · present · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. present — the time now
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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