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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: pop · club · game · chip · stem · cabinet · fine · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pop — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — a match
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — a group
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pop — soda
  12. stem — to come from
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. club — for golf
  23. pop — to visit
  24. deal — to handle

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