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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — a container
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cap — of ice
  6. capital — a city
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chip — to eat
  15. capital — money
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cap — a hat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rash — hasty
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rash — a series

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