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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: saw · club · cap · squash · capital · pass · spring · chip

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cap — a hat
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cap — a lid
  10. capital — a city
  11. cap — of ice
  12. capital — money
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spring — of water
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — for betting

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