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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.

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: cap · march · chip · toast · game · staff · spell · plane

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — a lid
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — a short time
  13. game — wild animals
  14. staff — employees
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. game — a match
  18. staff — a stick
  19. march — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spell — letters
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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