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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: cabinet · mug · scale · dip · root · chip · straw · toast

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. toast — bread
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mug — to rob
  8. root — the cause
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — a face
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — to sink

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