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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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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: fine · roll · kid · chip · cap · mine · race · stick

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — of ice
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. fine — all right
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mine — for digging
  16. roll — a list
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. race — humankind
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. kid — to tease
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cap — a lid

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