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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kid — child
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chip — to eat
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. capital — money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — completely
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. capital — a city

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