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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — in music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — to push
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — for a lock
  16. capital — a city
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — money
  19. rest — a break
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pound — a weight

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