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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chip — for betting
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. capital — money
  6. race — the arms race
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. race — a contest
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. capital — a city
  14. race — humankind
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lean — thin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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