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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.

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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: cabinet · chip · net · chair · firm · rash · pass · staff

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. firm — steady
  8. net — after costs
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rash — a series
  18. staff — employees
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — decided
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. chair — to sit on

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