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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · mark · staff · cabinet · roll · bat · ball · chip

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wind — moving air
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. roll — a list
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wind — moving air

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