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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chip — for betting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. toast — bread
  7. capital — money
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — to be able to
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — to handle

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