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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. swing — music
  20. kid — child
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chip — for betting

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