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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 · suit · chip · degree · bowl · tube · stand · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. present — there
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cap — a lid
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. tube — the underground
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stand — on your feet

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