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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: key · cabinet · craft · chip · stick · cue · date · bear

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. craft — a skill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. craft — boats
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. 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