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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: rest · chip · suit · cabinet · bore · spell · ground · pop

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — letters
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spell — magic
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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