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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 · swing · staff · mate · suit · cabinet · land · hand

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — to come down
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — for betting
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mate — a partner
  23. land — ground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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