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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: cold · trunk · roll · pass · chip · key · kick · capital

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. key — in music
  3. kick — in football
  4. chip — for betting
  5. capital — money
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. cold — not warm
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cold — an illness
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. roll — a cake
  23. capital — a city
  24. roll — a list

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