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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 116 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: chip · stick · cabinet · board · dip · swing · nail · file

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chip — to eat
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. file — a document
  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