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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. club — a group
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — for golf
  11. capital — money
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. capital — a city
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pass — a permit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cap — a lid

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