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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: chip · scale · object · tube · bat · cap · hide · track

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tube — a container
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. object — an aim
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — to protest
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — a thing
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bat — the animal

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