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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chip — to eat
  7. capital — money
  8. file — a tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chip — for betting
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — the most important part
  21. capital — a city
  22. file — a document
  23. key — for a lock
  24. net — after costs

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