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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. key — for a lock
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chip — for betting

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