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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 116 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 · can · chip · field · fine · stem · kick · track

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. track — a song
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — for sport
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — of ice
  19. field — a subject
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — all right
  24. kick — with a leg

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