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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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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: fan · present · cap · march · stick · wind · calf · chip

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — a gift
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — there
  12. march — music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. march — the month
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chip — to eat
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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