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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — a stone
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. spring — a coil
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — of water
  15. capital — a city
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spring — the season
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — music
  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