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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mug — a cup
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mark — a trace
  5. club — for golf
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. content — happy
  8. club — a group
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — a face
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. content — the amount
  18. game — a match
  19. kick — in football
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. capital — a city

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