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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: suit · club · date · chip · deal · cabinet · wax · stand

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — for golf
  11. chip — for betting
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. club — a group
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. date — on the calendar

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