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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 120 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 · suit · hide · band · craft · race · chip · cue

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. race — humankind
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a music group
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — of ice
  17. suit — clothes
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chip — to eat

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