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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — of law
  5. wind — moving air
  6. band — a music group
  7. court — of a king
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. court — for sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. capital — a city
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a ring
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — crushed
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. capital — money

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