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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pit — a hole
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — a permit
  7. capital — a city
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bank — of a river
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. charge — a price

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