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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: spring · chip · cabinet · board · last · track · rock · chest

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chest — a box
  3. last — final
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — the season
  10. last — to go on
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — music
  17. last — finally
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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