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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — for betting
  7. face — to point toward
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — to eat
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — to confront
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. face — part of the head
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cell — in biology

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