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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: mug · ball · lash · chip · band · pass · capital · kick

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mug — to rob
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kick — in football
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. capital — money
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. capital — a city
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. band — a music group

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