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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — the animal

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