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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: bowl · chip · can · squash · cap · stand · lean · cabinet

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lean — thin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to bend
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. can — a tin
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — in a computer

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