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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. court — for sport
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. suit — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. court — of a king
  20. chip — to eat
  21. court — of law
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rash — hasty

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