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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: bowl · dip · chip · bear · tube · cap · date · safe

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. 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. dip — to sink
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chip — for betting
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. date — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — a container
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. 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