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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. race — humankind
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — a friend
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — to breed
  12. race — the arms race
  13. capital — a city
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. land — a country
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — to come down
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. land — ground
  24. mate — a partner

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