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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · fork · race · pitch · cap · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. 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. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. race — humankind
  4. chip — for betting
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. 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