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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — for sport
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — a thing
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. court — of a king
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. capital — a city
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. object — an aim
  19. rush — hurry
  20. capital — money
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — of law

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