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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: ball · clip · wound · can · cap · chest · mark · chip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — a lid
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cap — a hat
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mark — a trace
  13. clip — for paper
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. clip — a video
  19. can — a tin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a great time

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