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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — completely
  4. snap — to click
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — to eat
  10. capital — money
  11. rash — hasty
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. swing — music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — to play on

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