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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 120 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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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 · kick · fork · cap · mouse · bay · chip · pop

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kick — in football
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pop — music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chip — to eat

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