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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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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. key — in music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cap — a lid
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cue — a signal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hand — help
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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