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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: field · kid · chip · cabinet · stand · board · mug · pit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — child
  4. mug — a cup
  5. field — farmland
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — a face
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — for sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. field — a subject
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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