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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.

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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.

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: chip · cabinet · press · calf · foot · field · mine · key

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — to eat
  4. key — in music
  5. field — for sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. field — farmland
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. press — to push
  14. mine — for digging
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. field — a subject
  24. foot — the bottom

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