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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 · cabinet · root · patient · nail · swing · toast · bear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — bread
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a word
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chip — to eat
  18. swing — in golf
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. root — the cause
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bear — to put up with

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