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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 120 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: suit · chip · hide · ball · foot · charge · cap · game

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — a hat
  8. suit — in cards
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. charge — in control
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — to eat
  18. foot — a measure
  19. game — a match
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chip — for betting

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