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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: cap · dip · chip · club · race · pitch · kick · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. club — a group
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. race — a contest
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cap — a hat
  14. race — humankind
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cap — a lid
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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