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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: cabinet · dip · suit · chip · scale · staff · bat · row

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — to eat
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — a stick
  12. dip — to sink
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bat — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. scale — in music
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — for betting
  20. scale — size or range
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. row — to paddle
  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