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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: cap · ruler · chip · present · mouse · can · tube · race

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — there
  11. tube — a container
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. present — a gift
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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