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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. capital — a city
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lean — thin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. game — a match
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chip — for betting
  14. board — to get on
  15. capital — money
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chip — to eat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — in music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. board — a committee

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