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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — money
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spell — letters
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — for betting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a document
  18. spell — magic
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. capital — a city
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chip — in a computer

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