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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ground — the earth

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