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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: chip · craft · ball · tube · cabinet · cell · chest · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chest — a box
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. firm — steady
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a great time

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