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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — money
  8. rash — a series
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. last — finally
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — to go on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. last — final

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