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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: sharp · pound · cap · lie · chip · mug · racket · rest

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mug — a face
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chip — to eat

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