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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: suit · firm · cabinet · land · pass · chip · game · pitcher

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — ground
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. firm — steady
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. suit — in cards
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a match
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. firm — a company
  22. chip — for betting
  23. land — a country
  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