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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — certain
  4. capital — money
  5. last — finally
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — a short time
  8. last — to go on
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — thin
  13. spell — letters
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spell — magic
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — a container
  20. last — final
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bound — tied together
  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