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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: deal · key · chip · kid · date · can · cap · spell

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. can — to be able to
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chip — to eat
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — for betting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — magic
  18. kid — child
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kid — to tease
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spell — letters

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