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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 · wake · foot · bay · ball · mate · chip · clip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. clip — a video
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — a trail
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. clip — for paper

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