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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cap — a hat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. track — a song
  20. snap — to click
  21. chip — for betting
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cap — of ice

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