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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — money
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cap — a hat
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stand — to bear
  7. snap — to click
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. present — a gift
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. staff — employees
  18. chip — to eat
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chip — for betting
  24. capital — a city

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