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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chip — for betting
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chip — to eat
  9. land — ground
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. field — farmland
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. land — a country
  14. field — a subject
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. object — an aim
  17. rush — hurry
  18. capital — money
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. land — to come down
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. field — for sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. capital — a city

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