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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · chip · arm · tube · game · rash · fine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chip — for betting
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chip — to eat
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cap — a hat
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rash — a series
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bark — to shout
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — high quality

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