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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · game · hand · cap · chip · field · pass · hide

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chip — for betting
  6. field — a subject
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — to eat
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. field — farmland
  16. game — a match
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. field — for sport
  24. hand — help

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