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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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468
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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — high quality
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. capital — a city
  14. press — a publisher
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — for betting
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. press — to push
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. capital — money

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