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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — a group
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. last — final
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rash — a series
  18. fine — all right
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. capital — money
  21. foot — a measure
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. last — to go on

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