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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. firm — a company
  5. capital — money
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. capital — a city
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. key — for a lock
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — decided
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field

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