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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 116 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 · row · swing · fan · capital · bound · stock

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — a line
  5. stock — goods
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. capital — a city
  12. swing — music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — to paddle
  15. swing — in golf
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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