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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — money
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. season — of the year
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — a professorship

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