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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: stick · can · chip · cap · land · last · scale · present

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — there
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a hat
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. land — ground
  16. scale — size or range
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — in music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. present — the time now
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. present — a gift

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