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

Word bank: hide · jam · stem · deal · race · cabinet · game · chip

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — humankind
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. race — the arms race
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — a contest
  20. game — a match
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. jam — in traffic
  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