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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · chip · nail · lean · pit · cabinet · fall · scale

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fall — to drop
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — in music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a kind of play

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