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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: cap · mug · scale · pitcher · trunk · chip · race · bay

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. race — humankind
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. race — a contest
  10. mug — a cup
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. scale — in music

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