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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — a tin
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fall — the season
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — to be able to
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mouse — for a computer

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