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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · chip · firm · squash · cabinet · file · mine · ball

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — decided
  7. file — a tool
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — steady
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a lid

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