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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. capital — a city
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a grade
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tear — to rip
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mark — to pay attention

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