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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cap — of ice
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. club — for dancing
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chip — for betting
  11. club — for golf
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — money
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. club — a group
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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