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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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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: deal · chip · fall · cabinet · march · pop · staff · sharp

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — clever
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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