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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · cabinet · chip · stem · racket · kid · pitcher · spell

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — magic
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kid — to tease
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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