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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: wound · pop · cabinet · land · club · rock · fall · chip

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. club — for golf
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — music
  8. land — a country
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. club — a group
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fall — to drop
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — to eat
  17. land — to come down
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fall — the season
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — soda

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