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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: pop · toast · craft · chip · wound · cue · cap · season

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — of the year
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pop — soda
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. toast — bread
  8. cap — a hat
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pop — music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. craft — boats
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cap — of ice
  24. season — to add flavour

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