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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. toast — bread
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. board — to get on
  18. capital — a city
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — money
  21. board — a committee
  22. chip — for betting
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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