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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — boats
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — a company
  10. last — finally
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. firm — decided
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — steady
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. chip — for betting
  24. craft — a skill

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