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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — for betting
  6. capital — money
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — temperature
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — the season
  20. degree — an amount
  21. capital — a city
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fall — to drop

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