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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: mate · jam · net · chip · cap · rock · field · cabinet

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. field — a subject
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mate — a friend
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. field — farmland
  12. net — after costs
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — to breed
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. field — for sport
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — for catching

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