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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: cell · tube · hand · club · pitch · fine · cap · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tube — a container
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chip — to eat
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hand — help
  23. club — for golf
  24. cap — a hat

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