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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 116 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: cap · chip · rash · mug · key · content · mouse · pit

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — a face
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chip — to eat
  12. content — the amount
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — hasty
  15. content — happy
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — 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