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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: cabinet · cap · chip · firm · jam · bank · current · mate

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. firm — steady
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chip — for betting
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. chip — to eat

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