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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — the arms race
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — a contest
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. race — humankind
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. season — of the year
  21. kick — in football
  22. season — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — a hat

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