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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 116 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: chip · nail · mate · cap · kick · staff · wave · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cap — of ice
  6. chip — for betting
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — in football
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cap — a hat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mate — to breed

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