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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. swing — music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — a law
  5. swing — in golf
  6. capital — a city
  7. pop — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. swing — to play on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rule — government
  12. court — of law
  13. chip — for betting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. key — in music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — for sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chip — to eat
  23. capital — money
  24. pop — soda

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