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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cold — not warm
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — of the year
  12. firm — a company
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chip — for betting
  15. firm — steady
  16. capital — money
  17. dip — to sink
  18. capital — a city
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bank — for money
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. firm — decided

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