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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: kick · cabinet · mark · chip · court · deal · can · present

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — of law
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kick — in football
  13. present — the time now
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — for sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chip — for betting

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