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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chip — for betting
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — decided
  10. bat — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. toast — bread
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — a series
  21. firm — a company
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rash — hasty

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