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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: present · ball · pit · chip · cap · rock · fine · rest

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rest — a break
  3. present — a gift
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cap — a lid
  13. present — there
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fine — all right

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