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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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. march — music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. capital — a city
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — in cards
  19. capital — money
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — a leader

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