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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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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 · object · cap · stick · racket · safe

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — a thing
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. object — an aim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer

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