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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
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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: staff · trunk · chip · spring · degree · spell · stock · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — from a university
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — shares
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — temperature
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stock — goods
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — magic
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spring — of water
  22. degree — an amount
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — the season

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