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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 120 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 · stick · deal · hide · court · current · chip · present

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — electric
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. current — of water
  8. present — a gift
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. court — for sport
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — happening now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — a big deal

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