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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: chip · cabinet · pop · tear · nail · club · stand · rock

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rock — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — to bear
  14. club — for golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. club — a group
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rock — a stone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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