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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: pound · bank · cabinet · staff · chip · straw · jam · bulb

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. staff — employees
  6. bank — for money
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. staff — a stick
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chip — for betting
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chip — in a computer

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