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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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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: stick · chip · cue · cabinet · game · suit · craft · hide

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — for pool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cue — a hint
  14. game — a match
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — wild animals
  20. craft — a skill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. chip — for betting
  23. craft — boats
  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