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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ball — a great time
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. race — humankind
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — in music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. swing — music
  15. capital — money
  16. can — to be able to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — a city
  24. ball — a round shape

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