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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: fall · current · staff · perch · cabinet · lie · stock · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — goods
  9. lie — to recline
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — electric
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fall — the season

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