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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chip · wound · scale · hide · fork · track · hand

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hand — help
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fork — a garden tool

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