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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. date — on the calendar

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