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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: current · bat · wax · fine · toast · cap · kid · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. toast — bread
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — a hat
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — of water
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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