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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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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: chip · deal · rest · cabinet · firm · net · fork · current

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. firm — decided
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — of water
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — for catching
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rest — a break
  17. firm — steady
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. current — happening now
  23. net — after costs
  24. rest — what's left

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