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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: bear · chip · prune · firm · hide · current · field · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. field — for sport
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — steady
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. field — a subject
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — for betting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — a company
  21. current — electric
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. firm — decided

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