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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: rash · object · chip · hand · capital · bulb · squash · cabinet

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — in cards
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — to protest
  15. hand — help
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. capital — a city
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. object — a thing
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rash — a series

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