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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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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: fork · stem · drill · chip · cabinet · pass · rock · sharp

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. drill — army training
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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