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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: hand · cap · staff · pitcher · bulb · roll · chip · temple

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cap — a hat
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. roll — a cake
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — in cards
  22. roll — a list
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — part of the body

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