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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: cap · key · suit · spell · present · pass · cold · chip

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spell — magic
  5. cap — of ice
  6. suit — clothes
  7. present — a gift
  8. key — in music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cap — a hat
  13. present — there
  14. chip — for betting
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. key — the most important part
  19. present — the time now
  20. cold — not warm
  21. spell — letters
  22. cold — an illness
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cold — the Cold War

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