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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mug — a face
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — a cup
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chip — to eat
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — for betting
  22. capital — a city
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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